Wall mounted cap remover with retainer



Aug. 21, 1956 A CARP WALL MOUNTED CAP REMOVER WITH RETAINER Fi led Sept. 13. 1954 FISQ.

ZZWA? United States Patent O WALL MOUNTED CAP REMOVER WITH RETAINER Arthur Carp, Ferguson, Mo.

Application September 13, 1954, Serial No. 455,623

11 Claims. (Cl. 81-3.1)

This invention relates to cap removers for removing crown type caps from bottles and the like.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a wall-type bottle cap remover wherein a capped bottle upon insertion for cap removal is positively guided into optimum position for simple and positive, single-action cap removal; the provision of a cap remover which eiects an improved spreading action under each cap flange to facilitate removal; the provision of a cap remover of the class ldescribed wherein each cap upon removal is held captive for convenient subsequent disposal; the provision of a remover of this class which in certain forms also may be conveniently manufactured as -a hand type remover; and the provision of a cap remover of the class described which may be produced at low cost. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, 'and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated,

Fig. 1 is :a front elevation of a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. l, except that, in addition, a bottle is shown in dotted lines, its cap being shown by solid lines;

Figs. 3 and 4; 5 and 6; 7 and 8 are pairs of views similar to Figs. l and 2 respectively, each pair showing an alternative form of the invention; and,

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. l.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Bottle openers, particularly of the Wall type wherein a. capped bottle is inserted and angled down for cap removal, have had several disadvantages. One of these is that the capped bottle is not automatically aligned upon insertion for positive cap removal, so that often several trials need to be made to obtain a proper cap-removing grip. The second disadvantage, `assuming a cap grip to have been obtained, is that the most advantageous spreading action on the cap ange is not obtained for easiest removal action. Third, after the cap is removed it falls on the floor, where it is diliicult to retrieve for orderly dispos-al; The present invention provides, among others, for improvements in the three categories above mentioned.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown at numeral 1, a wall upon which the cap remover is to be mounted `advantageously by means of a single screw 3. The remover itself is constituted by only two members 5 and 7. Member 5 is a substantially rigid stamping of inverted L-shape constituted by a mounting plate 9 and an (upper) :angled catch plate 11. A fulcrum 13 is struck forward from the mounting plate 9 on its margin opposite the margin from which extends the (upper):

Patented Aug. 21, 1956 ICC catch plate 11. The outer margin of the catch plate 11 is struck back and formed with an arcuate beveled reentrant edge as shown at 15 to form a catch for engagement under the crimped ange 17 of a cap 19. Circumferential engagement occurs over a substantial arc. Thus when a bottle such as indicated by dotted lines 21 in Fig. 2, having a cap 19, is brought into position with the cap against the fulcrum 13 and the crimped flange 17 over the catch 15, the latter by reason of its substantial marginal arc will exert a cap-spreading action over a substantial arc, thus effecting easy removal when the bottle 21 is lightly pushed down in the direction shown by the arrow 23 in Fig. 2.

A difficulty with a bottle opener consisting merely of one part 5 such as above described, but without the arcuate catch 15, is that the operator needs to make sure that the flange 17 is brought up over the catch 15. Since the back of the catch is essentially invisible, several attempts are sometimes necessary before the removal is effected, the bottle being poorly aligned. Such a cap remover also drops the cap on the iloor after removal. Both of these characteristics are annoying. The arcuate catch 15 in part obviates these diliiculties, but in addition I provide the member 7, which is composed of an essentially L-shaped spring having a ilat mounting portion 25 with a lip 27 for aligning engagement with the corner of member 5. This lip 27 may be omitted, as illustrated in alternative forms, to be described below. Parts 9 and 25 have openings 28 and 29 for reception of the single holding screw 3. The member 7 is formed below the at mounting portion 25 with an angled spring catch 31, the margin of which is formed arcuately as shown .at 33. The normal position of the catch 31 is as shown in solid lines in Figs. l and 2, and dotted lines in Fig. 2. When a capped bottle is inserted, as shown in Fig. 2, the lip 33 springs under the lower margin of the cap ange 17 and automatically centers and pushes the bottle neck up, so that the upper margin of the cap llange 17 is placed in engagement with the arcuate catch 15 and the top of the cap is pushed into engagement with the fulcrum 13. Thus the bottle is held in correct alignment by the arcuate portions 33 and 15. Upon lightly pushing the bottle 21 downward as shown by arrow 23, the cap is left in the solid-line position shown in Fig. 2 where it is held captive. Its removal from the opener may then readily be effected simply by grasping its sides and pulling it forward from its engagement with the spring catch 31.

Since the member 7 is made of spring material but such material is not needed for the member 5, I make them in separate parts, these being sold disassembled. Thus the usual complicated fastening means that are needed between spring and rigid members are obviated, the mounting screw 3 being used for the purpose of assembly.

In order to prevent rotation of the device on the wall 1, after mountingv by means of the screw 3, I provide in part 5 downwardly struck dimples 35. These extend from the back of the plate 9 a distance greater than the thickness of the flat part 25 of the spring member 7. On the other hand, the ilat part 25 is notched out as shown at 37, so that when the two parts are mounted as shown in Fig. 2 and screw 3 is tightened down, the dimples 35 extend through the notches 37 and are forced into the wall 1 to prevent rocking despite the single mounting screw 3. The combination of the dimples 35 and notches 37 also aligns parts 5 and 7.

It will be noted that the arcuate cap-receiving shapes 15 and 33 serve, when the bottle 21 is thrust into capremoving position, to hold the bottle in a plane more or less perpendicular to the wall 1, so that proper alignment for subsequent cap removal is better assured.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, these show a rst alternative form of the invention, in which like numerals designate such parts as function generally the same as those shown in Figs. l and 2. All parts having any different functions than those already described are provided with different reference characters, described as follows: The spring catch 7 extending downward from the spring mounting plate 25 lis modified as shown at 39, its arcuate margin 41 being set back so that this .catch performs only the function of pushing the cap 19 upward into engagement with the catch 15. It does not in and of itself hold the cap captive. This latter function is provided by additional spring clips 43 extending from the sides of the spring plate portion 25. These clips 43 grasp the sides of the cap shown for guiding and cap-holding purposes. Otherwise, the essentials of the Figs. 3, 4 structure yare the same as those described in the above connection with the structure of Figs. 1 and 2 and a further elaboration is believed to be unnecessary.

Referring now to Figs. and 6, these show a second alternative form of the invention, in which again like numerals designate parts generically like those shown in Figs. l and 2. All parts having diierent functions than those already described again are provided with different reference characters, which are as follows: In this case the lower spring catch is identied by numeral 45, .and instead of having an arcuate lip has two small spaced lingers 47 adapted to seat in the recesses of the crimped cap ange 17. These iingers 47 again perform the functions of forcing the cap bottle end into position for engagement of `the upper margin of the cap with the catch 15, and also to hold the cap captive after its removal. Otherwise, the essentials `of the Figs. 5, 6 structure are the same as those described above in connection with the structure of Figs. l and 2, and further elaboration is believed to be unnecessary.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a third alternative form of the invention adapted for both wall and portable use. In this vform no spring is employed but only a single rigid stamping 49, which has a at back 51 which may be used as a wall mounting vplate or as a hand grip or handle. Plate 51 is provided with side flanges 53 which serve stiffening purposes and are provided with cups 54 located upon opposite sides of a struck-up fulcrum 55. At its upper end the plate 51 is flanged as shown at 57 and marginally bent to form the inwardly turned catch 59.

Provision for mounting is made by a rst hole 61 from which extends an L.shaped bayonet slot 63. Thus a screw 65 may be driven into the wall with its head spaced therefrom and the device applied at an angle, so that the hole 61 -is pushed over the head of the screw. Then the bayonet slot 63 is maneuvered around the `shank and under the head of the screw. In order to hold :the bottom of the device when swung into vertical position (say from a right-hand angled position) an arcuate slot 67 is provided. This slot 67 communicates with a -notch 69 in one -of the flanges 53, so lthat if the opener is swung down as above described a second screw 71 (previously screwed into the wall with its head spaced therefrom) may be engaged by the slot as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Operation of this form of the invention will be obvious from Figs. 7 and 8. It needs only to be remarked that the then unremoved position of the cap is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8, and after the bottle has been angled down and removed therefrom the cap slips by gravity from its dotted-line position to the solid-line yposition in the cups 54, as shown in Fig. 8. In this position it rests captive on the fulcrum 55 and within the cups 54, from which it may be conveniently removed.

This form of the invention may also be removed from the wall and used as a portable opener, the operation of which may be visualized by viewing Fig. v8 -from :the vleft and ignoring the wall 1, from which the opener lhas been removed. In this case the bottle 21 is held in one hand and the opener 49 in the other, more or less transversely across the bottle top. The catch is brought under-one edge of the-cap and the fulcrum against its top, the extending part of the back 51 being pushed down by the A.palm

of the hand. As the cap is removed, it again slips to one side and downward into captive position in the cups 54.

In View of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. A crown cap remover comprising a unitary inverted L-shaped portion one side of which constitutes a mounting means and the other side an extending catch means, the outer margin of said catch means being formed as an arcuately shaped catch for arcuate engagement with a cap flange, an integral fulcrum extending from said mounting means adapted for engagement with the top of said cap, and lower means extending from said mounting means adapted to engage and to support a cap, the removal of which is effected by said catch and fulcrum.

2. A crown cap remover comprising a unitary inverted L-shaped portion one side of which constitutes a mounting means and the other side an extending catch means, the outer margin of said catch means being formed as an arcuately shaped beveled catch for arcuate engagement with a cap ilange, an integral fulcrum struck out from said mounting means adapted for engagement with the top of said cap, and a lower spring extension from said mounting means adapted with said catch to grip and hold a cap, the removal of which is effected by said catch and fulcrum.

3. A crown cap remover made according to claim 2, wherein said spring extension includes spaced ngers engageable with depressions of crimped anges of caps to be removed.

4. A crown cap remover made according to claim l, wherein said extending means includes laterally disposed portions adapted for the sidewise engagement with and holding of removed caps.

5. A crown cap remover comprising a unitary inverted L-shaped portion, one side of which constitutes a mounting means and the other side an extending catch means, the outer margin of said catch means being ydirected downward and formed as an arcuately shaped catch for arcuate engagement with a cap flange, an integral fulcrum struck forward from said mounting means adapted for engagement with the top of a cap, and lateral portions extending downward from said extending catch means including downwardly converging and outwardly flaring cap-retaining portions.

6. A crown cap remover made according to claim l, wherein said means extending from the mounting means is constituted by a spring plate, said spring plate and mounting means having openings adapted to be aligned for the reception of a single wall-mounting screw, and holding means struck from the margin of the mounting means, said spring plate having a notch accommodating said holding means, whereby the holding means may press into .a wall upon which the cap remover is mounted by said screw.

7. A crown cap remover made according to claim 1, wherein said means extending from the mounting means is constituted by a spring plate, said spring plate and said mounting means having openings adapted to be aligned for the reception of a single wall-mounting screw, and holding means struck from the opposite margins of said mounting means, said spring plate having opposite notches accommodating said holding means respectively, whereby the holding means may press into a wall upon which the remover is held by said screw.

8. A crown cap remover made according to claim 1, wherein said lower means extending from the mounting meanS is formed of an essentially L-Shaped spring plate havinga flat portion for Wall engagement and a springing extending portion, said mounting means and plate having aligned openings for the reception of said mounting means, said extending portion of the spring plate having an arcuate edge, whereby an introduced cap is aligned both by said arcuate edge and said catch means and forced by said extending portion into cap-engaging position with said cap and fulcrum, said extending portion with said catch means being adapted to 4hold captive a removed cap.

9. A crown cap remover made according to claim 8, wherein opposite margins of the spring plate are provided With notches and wherein opposite margins of said mounting means are dimpled for extending through the notches to press into a Wall surface upon which the opener is mounted.

10. A crown cap remover made according to claim 1, wherein said lower means extending from said mounting means is constituted by an essentially L-shaped spring plate having a flat portion for wall engagement and a springing extending portion, said mounting means and spring plate having aligned openings for the reception of said mounting means, said springing extending portion of the spring plate having an arcuate edge, whereby an introduced capped bottle is aligned by said arcuate edge and catch means to be forced by said springing extending portion into cap-engaging position with said catch means and fulcrum, and spring clips forming extensions from said spring plate on opposite sides of the fulcrum adapted to hold captive a removed cap.

11. A crown cap remover made according to claim 1, wherein said lower means extending from said mounting means is adapted to engage and support the cap and consists of an essentially L-shaped spring plate having a flat portion for Wall engagement and a springing extending portion, said mounting means and spring plate having aligned openings for the reception of said mountings means, said springing extending portion of the spring plate having spaced ngers arranged to engage with depressions in the crimped margin of the cap, whereby an introduced capped bottle is forced by said springing extending portion into cap-engaging position with said catch means and fulcrum, said springing extending portion with said catch means being adapted to hold captive a removed cap.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,731 Belpidio Nov. 10, 1953 D. 160,453 Ajouelo Oct. 17, 1950 1,880,985 Saunders Oct. 4, 1932 1,974,836 Schilling Sept. 25, 1934 2,599,462 Kowarsch June 3, 1952 

